NBC Sports, who recently dismissed Jeremy Roenick for inappropriate comments towards Kathryn Tappen, has announced that they will have an all-female crew to call the St. Louis Blues-Chicago Blackhawks game on March 8. Kate Scott will do the play-by-play while US Olympic gold medalists AJ Mleczko will serve as an analyst and Kendall Coyne-Schofield will be “Inside-the-Glass”.
The telecast, a first of its kind for hockey, is to celebrate International Women’s Day.
.@NBCSports will utilize an all-female crew to call & produce @StLouisBlues–@NHLBlackhawks game on @NBCSN in honor of International Women's Day on 3/8.@katetscott, @AJMleczko & @KendallCoyne will call the action w/ @KathrynTappen @JenBotterill in studiohttps://t.co/j7UdDu26fD pic.twitter.com/1II2DHRf1y
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) February 16, 2020
Kathryn Tappen will anchor studio coverage with three-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jen Botterill while game production will be led by producer Rene Hatlelid and director Lisa Seltzer.
“I’ve been broadcasting for 17 years, and yet, the very first broadcast I did with a female producer was just two years ago,” Kathryn Tappen said. “The fact that we are celebrating International Women’s Day with an all-female broadcast and production team tells me how far we have come in a very short time. We hope our broadcast will help inspire young women watching to follow their dreams, because we’ve proven that anything is possible, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Throughout the broadcast, there will be nods to those who have made their mark on women’s hockey, and sports in general, with the hopes to inspire future generations of women to excel on the ice and behind the scenes.
More from NBC Sports PR:
ALL-FEMALE CREW TO BROADCAST AND PRODUCE NBC SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF BLUES-BLACKHAWKS IN HONOR OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY ON MARCH 8 ON NBCSN
Kate Scott (play-by-play) and U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists Kendall Coyne-Schofield (“Inside-the-Glass” analyst) and AJ Mleczko (analyst) to Call Blues-BlackhawksKathryn Tappen and Three-Time Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Jen Botterill Anchor Studio Coverage
STAMFORD, Conn. – February 16, 2020 – NBC Sports will utilize an all-female crew to broadcast and produce game coverage of the St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks NHL matchup on March 8 on NBCSN, coinciding with International Women’s Day and marking the first NHL game broadcast and produced solely by women in the U.S.
Kate Scott (play-by-play) will call the action alongside U.S. Olympic gold medalists Kendall Coyne-Schofield (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) and AJ Mleczko (analyst) from United Center in Chicago, Ill.
Kathryn Tappen will anchor studio coverage with three-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jen Botterill. Game production will be led by producer Rene Hatlelid and director Lisa Seltzer.
The first-of-its-kind broadcast will be in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, which dates back over 100 years. Throughout the broadcast there will be nods to those who have made their mark on women’s hockey, and sports in general, with the hopes to inspire future generations of women to excel on the ice and behind the scenes.
In addition to the game elements, NBC Sports’ female-empowerment brand On Her Turf will surround the broadcast with content featuring women in hockey in various ways including the Hockey is for Her digital video franchise and behind-the-scenes content through @OnHerTurf on Instagram.
Producer Rene Hatlelid: “We are proud to recognize International Women’s Day. These strong, accomplished women do this work day in and day out and I’m honored to be a part of this historic broadcast.”
Producer Kaitlin Urka, who initially pitched the idea: “We aren’t just bringing women together for the sake of bringing women together. These are professionals who are some of the best at what they do and do these jobs on a regular basis. International Women’s Day just gives us a unique platform to celebrate their great work.”
Studio coverage will start at 7 p.m. ET on NHL Live and will continue immediately following the game with NHL Overtime.
